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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Blue Springs, MO vs St. Charles, MO

Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)

Reviewed by CitySpend Editorial Team · Updated

St. Charles, MO outspends Blue Springs, MO by a wide margin per resident — $20,461 versus $8,040, a 154% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.

Blue Springs, MO holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 80/100 (grade A) against 53/100 (grade C) for St. Charles, MO — a 27-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.

St. Charles, MO reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Blue Springs, MO carries $40 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Blue Springs, MO leads with parks and recreation at $1,041 per resident, while St. Charles, MO leads with police at $2,304.

On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 100% of total revenue in Blue Springs, MO and 100% in St. Charles, MO.

Summary

St. Charles spends 60.7% more per capita than Blue Springs ($12,421/person difference). Blue Springs, MO has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (A, 80/100).

Fiscal Health Score

City A
Blue Springs, MO
Pop. 58,720
A
80/100
Budget Balance100
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency100
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50
City B
St. Charles, MO
Pop. 70,687
C
53/100
Budget Balance24
Debt Burden100
Pension Funding76
Spending Efficiency47
Revenue Diversity0
Trend Direction50

Key Metrics

Metric
Blue Springs
St. Charles
Total Spending
$472.1M
$1.4B
Spending / Capita
$8,040
$20,461
Total Revenue
$997.5M
$443.2M
Revenue / Capita
$16,987
$6,270
Total Debt
$2.3M
$0
Debt / Capita
$40
$0
Population
58,720
70,687
Gov Employees / 10K
0.0
0.0
Avg Gov Salary
$0
$0

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police
Blue Springs$0
St. Charles$2,304
Fire Protection
Blue Springs$107
St. Charles$1,251
Highways & Roads
Blue Springs$148
St. Charles$614
Parks & Recreation
Blue Springs$1,041
St. Charles$1,210

Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)

Blue SpringsSt. Charles
Sales Tax
$472
$1,291
Intergovernmental
$16,987
$6,270
Charges & Fees
$1,766
$0
Other
$2,377
$2,994

Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)

Blue SpringsSt. Charles
Police
$0
$2,304
Fire Protection
$107
$1,251
Highways & Roads
$148
$614
Public Welfare
$740
$4,187
Hospitals
$160
$1,602
Parks & Recreation
$1,041
$1,210
Housing
$3,154
$5,745
Sewerage
$153
$197
Utilities
$1,593
$254
Other
$945
$3,097
A
Blue Springs, MO
Fiscal Health Score: 80/100
Excellent fiscal health
C
St. Charles, MO
Fiscal Health Score: 53/100
Average fiscal health

Compare More Cities

Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.